Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
These cool raptors can be found flying low to the ground searching for prey. They are extraordinarily maneuverable and very difficult to catch pics of in flight. Thankfully this one sat still long enough for me to snap a few images. Prairie Falcons are not particular about their diet and will feed on smaller birds including larks, swallows and doves and will also feed on rodents including squirrels.
A cloudy day here but for just the briefest of time the sun was able to peek through this morning. This beautiful doe was hanging out with six other ladies at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. All were happily enjoying their breakfast and more than willing to pose for pictures and I was lucky enough to be there when the sun popped out.
This Bald Eagle has been hanging out in a nearby park and was in its usual spot when I came home from work yesterday. Naturally had to stop to marvel at it and snap some pics. Bummed about the drab, gray skies but not too bad of an image. If you want to see more of my Bald Eagle pics, you can easily find them here.
Touchdown! A Ferruginous Hawk makes a landing on a utility pole this afternoon. The right talon slipped a bit but it recovered nicely and was able to then keep watch over the nearby prairie dog colony.
Falcon Friday! Or, if you prefer, Falcon Flight. Prairie Falcons are some pretty darned cool raptors but they can be a bit difficult to get pics of. My experience is that they tend to steer clear of perching where people are and when they do, they are quick to take off if approached.
Yesterday afternoon I was lucky enough to find two that were willing to sit still long enough for me to get some pictures. This was the last image in the series that I took of this one, taken just as it launched into the air and headed out over the horizon. Note the significant amount of blood on its talons, legs and chest – clearly it had recently eaten.
I went for a quick drive after work not too far from Denver International Airport. Initially I was discouraged but then came across this little guy hanging out. He was quite willing to let me snap away and gave me a number of decent images.
American Kestrels are the smallest falcons in North America but don’t let their size fool you – like most raptors they can be quite vicious when in pursuit of a meal.
A Bald Eagle launches itself into the air above the banks of the South Platte River north of Denver, Colorado.
Wood Ducks are probably the coolest looking water fowl I have ever seen. The male, seen here, is so colorful it is hard to imagine. Females, while more subdued, are beautiful in their own right. This male had just dives under water in search of a snack and when he popped up, began vigorously flapping his wings to dry off.
Do Bald Eagles shiver? 😉 I’m not sure if they do but that is kind of what it looked like this one did this as it shook itself vigorously. The image is probably a good candidate for a ‘caption this’ contest .
Last year this particular tree on the South Platte River near #Denver saw a lot of Bald Eagle activity during the winter. Unfortunately with a number of heavy construction projects in the area and quite a few other roosting trees torn out as a result, activity this year has been far more subdued.
A friend called Sunday and let me know this one was hanging out so my wife and I rushed down there and spent some time sitting on the opposite river bank just watching. The image isn’t best quality due to the distance we were from the eagle but it is still fun to see.
This juvenile was very focused and was not disturbed one bit when I walked right up under it. A few minutes later I learned it was keeping watch on its kill in a nearby bush (see the pic I posted Saturday). I don’t take many pics of Red-tails as they are common and also quite skittish. This time I am glad I took the opportunity as I love the detail of this shot.
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